As radiation can break gut mucosa and lung epithelial cells which, in turn, increase susceptibility to infections, other inflammasomes such as NLRP1, NLRC4 or AIM2 that can recognize PAMPs may also contribute to radiation-induced caspase-1 activation.21, 37, 38 Stoecklein found that Nlrp3−/− mice did not show a protective effect against radiation-induced immune cell loss. Here, AIM2 is linked to infection.